Federer in daytime action on U.S. Open day four

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Roger Federer will get his first taste of the oppressive conditions at the U.S. Open on Thursday when the Swiss faces Frenchman Benoit Paire in the second round on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The second seeded Federer beat Yoshihito Nishioka in straight sets in his opening match in Tuesday’s evening session and spoke about how tough it has been to adjust to the weather this year.

There will be no relief from the soaring temperatures in New York, with a high of 92 Fahrenheit (33C) predicted for Wednesday and organizers have announced an extreme heat policy that will stay in effect until further notice.

Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber kicks things off on Arthur Ashe at noon against unseeded Johanna Larsson of Sweden, with the men’s champion Novak Djokovic to play Tennys Sandgren in the evening session.

Djokovic, the sixth seed, struggled badly during his first round clash with Hungarian Marton Fucsovics, dropping a set before rallying to win in four after spending time in an ice bath during the mandatory 10-minute heat break.

The Serb, who beat Sandgren in straight sets at Wimbledon this year, will hope for a more coherent performance out of the blistering daylight heat.

Sixth seed Caroline Garcia, who looked in good form in beating Briton Johanna Konta in the first round, is up against Olympic champion Monica Puig on Grandstand, followed by men’s seventh seed Marin Cilic, the 2014 champion, who meets Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz.

Away from the buzz of the three showcourts, Australia’s bad boy Nick Kyrgios meets Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert on court 17.